Tunneling apparatus.



No. 674,4I5. P a tented May 2|, I901.

- D L. HOUGHK 1 T-UNNELING APPARATUS. 1 (Application filed Aug. 25,1899.)

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No. 674,4l5. ,Pat ented May 2|, 19m.

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TUNNELING APPARATUS.

(Applicafion filed Aug. 26, 1899.)

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(No Model.)

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H G U U H L D l 4 7 6 0 N TUNNELING APPARATUS.

(Application flled Aug. 25, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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DAVID L. HOUGH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TUNNELING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,415, dated May 21,1901.

Application filed August 25 1899. Serial No. 728,445. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, DAVID L, HOUGH, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TunnelingApparatus, of which the followingis a specification, reference being badto the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

In driving subaqueous tunnels it has been usual heretofore to providewithin the hood or shield of the tunnel a sufficient air-pressure toprevent the entrance of water through the material at the end of thetunnel through which the tunnel is being driven and the breaking down ofsuch material by the external pressure. It is well understood that thecost of such tunneling increases with the pressure which it is necessaryto maintain within the tunnel by reason of the difficulty of working inair under heavy pressure and that such work is very dangerous,particularly in tunnels of large diameter, by reason of the greatdifference in the external pressures at the top and bottom of thetunnel, while the internal pressure must of necessity be the same at allpoints and will therefore be too great at the top of the tunnel or tooject to the difficulties and dangers above referred to and shall requirevery little, if any, air-pressure within the tunnel above the normalatmospheric pressure.

In accordance with the invention the end of the hood or shield which isadvanced as the work of excavation progresses is 'provided with abulkhead, which prevents the entrance of water or material within thetunnel and is provided with suitable tools to act upon the material inadvance of the bulkhead, but operated by suitable means within thetunnel. Provision is also made for the removal of the material which hasbeen acted upon by such tools.

It will be evident that this invention can 3 be embodied in manydifferent forms of apparatus, as convenience in manufacture or in use orthe nature of the material through which the tunnel is driven or theconditions under which the tunnel is driven may require. For purposes ofexplanation of the nature of the invention some of such forms ofapparatus have been chosen for illustrabe more fully describedhereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in plan and partly inhorizontal section, of one of such forms of apparatus, some of theresented. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of a portion of thestructure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an inside elevation of the bulkheadshown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showinga different form of the apparatus. Fig. 5 shows in front elevation apart of the outer bulkhead shown in Fig. 4 and a part of the innerbulkhead,*and Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a portion of the rear faceof the inner bulkhead.

At A in Fig. 1 is represented a casing or lining which is put in placewithin the hood or shield B as the latter is advanced, as is usual inthe ordinary methods of tunneling. The particular construction ofsuchcasing or lining is not material-to the present invention and may be ofany usual or suitable character. The hood or shield B, which is advancedby means of hydraulic jacks b or otherwise as the tunneling progresses,may be of any desired shape in cross-section so far as concerns thatform of the apparatuswhich is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, although acircular cross-section is indicated. Inor near the forward end of thehood or shield is tightly secured a bulkhead O, which may be of anysuitable construction, but is preferably cellular and sectional, asindicated in the drawings. The functions of this bulkhead in the are toprevent-the entrance of water and of material within the hood or shieldand to support suitable tools for operation upon the ma terial inadvance of the bulkhead, provision being made for operatingsuch toolsfrom within the hood or shield and behind the bulkhead.

for supporting and operating the same will be varied according to thenature of the material to be operated upon and other condition in theaccompanying drawings, and will casing in rear of the hood or shieldbeing repconstruction represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 It is obviousthat the tools and the means IOO (ions of their use. In the arrangementwhich has been chosen for illustration in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of thedrawings each tool D, having a drill-head or bur or other suit-ablehead, as the case may be, is represented mounted in a sleeve or tube E,which has a universal hearing at e in a sleeve F. The sleeve or tube Emay be provided with a suitable handle 6', by means of which the toolcan be moved about in its universal bearing, and with a threadedhand-wheel e which engages the threaded shank d of the tool D, so thatthe tool may be advanced or retired within its holder E, as may bedesired. The shank of the tool is also shown as connected by a flexibleshaft 1) with a suitable motor B, so that it may receive the necessarycutting motion; but it will be evident that any suitable means may be employed for operating the tool. As a ronvenient means for permitting thecomplete withdrawal of a tool, so that it maybe repaired or replaced byanother more suitable to the work, the sleeve F is made movable in thebulkhead C, so that the outer end of the tool maybe withdrawn to therear of the outer face of the bulkhead. Suitable screws f are shown asengaginga flange of the sleeve and as threaded into the inner wall ofthe bulkhead to force the sleeve homeand retain it in position. Theouter end of the opening in the bulkhead through which the tool isextended is ar ranged to be closed when the tool is withdrawn to theposition indicated in the upper righthand corner of Fig. l, as by meansof a gate c,which slides in suitable ways provided therefor. The gate isarranged to be operated from the inner side of the bulkhead and for thispurpose may be provided with a rack 0', engaged by a pinion 0 The latteris carried by a shaft 0 provided at its inner end with a hand-wheel cThe material which has been stirred up or broken up or otherwise reducedby the action of the tools or otherwise to small fragments should beremoved without requiring any opening through the bulkhead which wouldadmit water and material within the hood or shield. For this purpose, asrepresented in the drawings, a suitable pump G may be provided to forcewater through a suitable hose g and through the bulkhead into the spacein front of the bulkhead, and another pump G and hose g may be similarlyconnected to the bulkhead to carry 01? the mingled water and material.

In order that the face of the material operated upon may be examinedfrom time to time, a tubularshellH may be arranged in the bulkhead toinclose suitable lamps h, the shell being provided with openings h topermit the passage of the light outward upon the face of the material orupon the tools. Within the shell H is disposed a second tube 1, which isprovided with an eyepiece 'L' at one end and a mirror 2" and suitablesight-openings 2' at the other end, thus permitting an examination ofany of the tools or of any portion of the face of the work. The tube Iis rotatable within the tube H and maybe provided with a hand wheel t tofacilitate its movement.

The operation of the construction shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 3 of thedrawings will be readily understood. When the hood or shield has beenpressed forward by hydraulic jacks or other means as far as possibletoward the face of the work, the tools are extended through thebulkhead, are set in motion, and are so manipulated as to sweep over thewhole face of the work. Meantime the pump G is forcing in water and thepump G is carrying off the mingled water and detritus. As fast as thecondition of the face of the work will permit the hood or shield isadvanced, the easing or lining of the tunnel being carried on with theadvance of the hood or shield.

In the construction represented in Figs. 4 and 5 the tools D are fixedto the outer face of the bulkhead, and the latter is rotated within theend of the hood or shield B. In order that the tool-carrier may berotated regardless of the pressure at the end of the tunnel, while atthe same time leakage into the tunnel may be prevented, the bulkhead ismade double, the outer part or tool-carrier O being rotatable andprovided with rollers and c to bear against the hood or shield 13 andagainst the inner stationary part C of the abutment. The carrier 0' issecured to a tubular shaft G which is mounted in suitable bearings inthe fixed abutment C and in a bracket 13' and is provided with a gear 0by which it may be driven from a suitable motor 0 Within the tubularshaft may be placed a pipe G which opens through the face of the outerabutment or carrier 0 in a central position, so as to receive thedetritus which is carried upward by the tools and is allowed to fallacross the open end of the pipe, and at the other end is connected bymeans of an ordinary sleeve-joint g with a suctionpump. (Not necessaryto be shown in the drawings.) The pipe Gr within the tubular shaft isconnected by a similar sleeve-joint with a force-pump, so that water maybe forced into the space between the two parts 0 and O of the abutmentfor the purpose of balancing the pressure against the outer face of theouter abutment or carrier as well as for furnishing the water which ismingled with the detritus and carried oil? through the pipe G the waterescaping around the edge of the outer abutment or carrier, and therebypreventing the accumulation of material between the carrier and the hoodor shield,which would interfere with the rotation of the former.

It is desirable to provide for the withdrawal of the tools from time totime for the purpose of examination or repair, and for this purpose eachtool is mounted upon a threaded shank d which is larger in diameter thanthe head of the tool and is screwed into the carrier from its innerface. The inner or fixed abutment (J is provided with a series ofapertures 0 which correspond in number and ITO , abutment.

position with each series of tools D so that each tool can be withdrawnthrough the inner A bracket-arm D is arranged to be moved in a guide 01parallel with the series of holes 0 and to support a shaft D which isprovided with a hand-wheel d. The shaft D is formed at its end to engagethe tool in line with it, is provided with a head (1 which fits snuglyin the opening 0 and is also provided with a threaded portion (1 whichis adapted to engage a threaded nut (1 carried by the arm D A gate o isprovided for each hole 0 and is carried by a spindle 0 which is extendedthrough the fixed abutment 0 When it is desired to remove a tool, thecorresponding gate 0 is moved aside, and the shaft B is engaged with thetool and rotated until the tool has been screwed backward out of thecarrier 0. At this time the threaded portion (1 of the shaft D engagesthe nut (1 and the contin ued rotation of the shaft carries the toolbackward into the opening o until its outer end has passed to the rearof the front face, so that the gate 0 can be closed, thus preventing theentrance of water within the hood orshield. The head orfiange d preventsthe passage of water backward through the hole a while the shaft or keyD is being inserted. The modeof operation of this form of the apparatusWill be readily understood. The rotation of the outer abutment orcarrier disintegrates the material operated upon, and the detritus iscarried off through the pipe G in the manner already described.

It is to be understood that the forms of apparatus shown and describedherein are merely two forms which may be used under particularconditions and are illustrative of the general character of theinvention, which is not to be restricted to the features of constructionand arrangement heretofore described.

I claim as my inventionl. Atunneling apparatus com prisingahood orshield, a bulkhead in said hood or shield comprising an outer rotatablepart or toolcarrier and an inner stationary part, means to rotate theouter part and means to supply water under pressure to'the space betweenthe outer and inner parts.

2. Atunnelingapparatus comprisingahood or shield, a bulkhead in saidhood or shield comprising an outer rotatable part or toolcarrier and aninner, stationary part, means to rotate the outer part, means to supplywater under pressure to the space between the outer and the inner parts,and a pipe carried through the bulkhead for removal of the detritus fromthe space in front of the same.

3'. A tunneling apparatus comprisinga hood or shield, a bulkhead in saidhood or shield comprising an outer rotatable part or toolcarrier and aninner stationary part, antifriction-rollers between the rotatable partand the stationary part, means to rotate the outer part and means tosupply water under pressure to the space between the outer and innerparts.

This specification signed and witnessed this 17th day of August, A. D.1899.

, DAVID L. HOUGH.

In presence of- J. G. LIVINGSTON, ANDREW H. SCOBLE.

